Oral Roberts Wins Slugfest Over North Dakota

Originally Published: Mar 28, 2010 4:33 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Oral Roberts baseball team claimed a series sweep of North Dakota with a 9-7 victory over the Fighting Sioux on Sunday.

The slugfest started in the top of the first when Jake Magner hit a solo home run to give UND the early 1-0 lead.

Tyler Garewal answered on the Golden Eagles’ first at-bat of the game with a solo home run to tie the contest. Later in the inning with two outs, Jared Schlehuber drew a bases loaded walk that scored Chris Elder.

The Fighting Sioux added another four runs in the top of the third to take a 5-2 lead by manufacturing runs and capitalizing on ORU mistakes. Jabby Bakhit advanced to third on a passed ball, and Magner brought him home with a single. After Josh Ray brought Josh Lagein home with an RBI double, Magner would score in the next at-bat on a wild pitch.

The Golden Eagles responded in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Saladino followed Nick Baligod's lead-off double with a double of his own to make it a 5-3 game. Robert Barbosa singled home Saladino two batters later and Brett Sowers eventually knocked in Barbosa with the first of his two doubles, tying the game at 5-5.

Oral Roberts took the lead in the seventh inning on a Garewal two-run home run, and added one more on a Baligod RBI double.

North Dakota pulled within two in the ninth on a Magner two-run home run, but Kris Kwak grounded to the pitcher to end the game.

ORU travels to Austin on Tuesday to take on the Texas Longhorns before returning home for a weekend series against Missouri State.